A VIDEO of Czech president Vaclav Klaus stealing a pen during a news conference has become popular on YouTube.

The clip has inspired a tongue-in-cheek Facebook campaign.

The clip, copied from a news report on Klaus's visit to Chile which was broadcast by Czech television Sunday night, was posted on the video-sharing site the same day.

It had drawn more than 550,000 views on YouTube by yesterday afternoon.

Klaus, sitting next to his Chilean counterpart Sebastian Pinera, is seen first opening a pen case lying on the table in front of him as the Chilean president gives him an enthusiastic welcome.

He takes the pen out, examines it carefully, hides his hands under the table, shuffles with his jacket, then buttons it up with both hands and finally lets his empty hands emerge above the table again to close the case.